


Real Talk

by SailorChibi



Series: ageplay chatroom [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Age Play, Baby Tony Stark, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Meetings, Gen, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Howard Stark's Bad Parenting, Hurt/Comfort, Infantilism, Little Bruce Banner, Meeting In Person For The First Time, Meeting for the first time, Online Friendships, Pacifiers, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Steve Rogers, Shy Tony Stark, Tony Stark Has Daddy Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, bottles, chatting & messasing, daddy Steve Rogers, daddy bucky barnes, flustered Tony Stark, internet forums, little Tony Stark, non sexual age play, non sexual infantilism, obadiah stane hates tony stark, thumb sucking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:28:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21993727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorChibi/pseuds/SailorChibi
Summary: Howard finds out about Tony's texts with Steve. His negative reaction prompts the first in-person meeting between Tony and Steve.
Relationships: Steve Rogers & Tony Stark
Series: ageplay chatroom [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1311533
Comments: 109
Kudos: 1070





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Third part in the series and they're finally meeting face-to-face!

Tony sighed as he stepped into the entryway. His shoes squelched unpleasantly as he slid them off, and his jacket hit the ground in a soggy heap. Trickles of cold water ran down his forehead, stinging his eyes. It figured that the skies would open up and it would start _pouring_ right as he left the meeting that Howard had insisted that he and Stane attend together. It also figured that Stane would have to leave midway through said meeting, taking the car and leaving Tony to make his own way home.

“Your father would like to speak with you in his study,” an unfamiliar voice said, and Tony startled as he glanced up to find that one of the servants was standing there watching him. He didn’t recognize her, but that wasn’t uncommon. Maria had a few trusted servants she kept around, but otherwise new staff were common in the Stark household. Tony had never been able to figure out why.

“Okay, thanks. Sorry about the mess,” Tony said, wiping ineffectually at his face. “I’ll just go change and then –”

“He indicated that he would like to see you as soon as you got home,” she interrupted.

Of course. Tony sighed. “Fine.”

Knowing it would be best not to keep Howard waiting, he trudged down the hallway. His clothing stuck unpleasantly to his skin as he knocked at the door of Howard’s study, then opened the door without waiting for acknowledgement. He didn’t know what he was expecting, but the sight of Stane and Howard together wasn’t it. Howard was sitting at his desk, while Stane stood just beside his chair. The two of them were pouring over some documents, but they both looked up when Tony opened the door. 

Tony’s stomach clenched unpleasantly when he caught sight of their faces. Howard didn’t look happy, though that wasn’t an unusual state of mind for Howard whenever Tony was around. But it was Stane who was making him really nervous. The smirk on Stane’s face never boded well, but when paired with that triumphant glint in Stane’s eyes it spelled trouble. 

“Tony,” Howard said, straightening up. “Come in here and shut the door behind you.”

Mutely, Tony obeyed. He crossed the room to stand before the desk and was about to ask what was going on when he caught of the top page that the two of them had been looking at. It looked like text messages. And then he spotted a familiar number, and an equally familiar name, and an icy coldness that had nothing to do with the fact that he was soaked slithered up his spine.

“Where did you get those?” Tony said before he could stop himself. Right away, he knew that was a mistake. He should’ve denied them, or at least pretended he’d never seen those texts before or that he didn’t know who Steve was. But it was too late for that: fury flashed across Howard’s face even as Stane’s smirk widened.

“Obie brought them to my attention. He said there was something that I needed to see,” Howard said tightly. He threw several of the papers across the desk. Tony flinched even as the papers fluttered harmlessly to the floor. His eyes tracked one of the papers, and his heart sank when he realized that it was full of dialogue from one of his and Steve’s roleplays.

Over the past couple of months, they had started roleplaying while texting sometimes. It had started when Tony had to go away with Howard and Maria and was in an area where there was no internet access, but he still got cell service. Not once had it occurred to him that texting Steve, instead of using the chatroom that Tony could access through an encrypted server, could result in someone else finding those texts.

“I’ve noticed lately that you haven’t been paying as much attention to what your father has been trying to teach you,” Stane said. “So I decided to take it upon myself to figure out why. It was easy to contact the cell phone company and ask for a record of your texts. When I saw them, well.” He clicked his tongue. “I knew that I had to bring them to your father.”

“What the hell is this?” Howard said, his face flushing red. 

“It’s… it’s roleplay,” Tony said meekly. “I – I met this guy over the internet and –”

“A pervert,” Stane said with great satisfaction and a shake of his head. “I knew you were young, Tony, but I didn’t think you were young enough to be taken in by someone like this.” He gestured to the papers still in front of Howard. There were so many of them. Pages and pages of private conversations.

“He’s not a pervert!” Tony exclaimed.

“That’s not what it sounds like to me,” Stane said. 

Howard evidently agreed, because he stood up. “What were you thinking?! Do you have any idea what kind of damage this could do to the company if it got out? The media would have a field day! Our family would be branded as – as – as disgusting! _You’re_ disgusting!”

That stung. Tony tried to conceal it, spreading his hands. “But Dad, I’m not hurting anyone. These were – these are private. No one else was ever meant to find out!”

“You didn’t do a very good job of hiding it!” Howard shouted. “Obie found out just by making a simple phone call! You just don’t _think_ , Tony! No matter how much I try to make you realize face reality, you seem determined to bury your head! You think you live in your own little world and pay not attention to the fact that your fucking actions have consequences!”

“I –” Tony stopped, realizing that he didn’t know what to say to that. Not that it mattered. He could tell Howard wasn’t looking for an actual answer.

“Do you even know who this man is? He could be a rival! This could be another Bain situation. What have you shared with him?” Howard demanded, striding around the desk and getting up into Tony’s face.

“N-nothing! Dad, I swear I haven’t even told him who I am!” Tony said.

“I’m not sure I’d believe that, Howard,” Stane said. “I’ve read through several of these. There’s enough information for this man to have put two and two together. Even _one_ of these pages… I mean, for god’s sake, Tony. You were roleplaying about _diapers_.” He sounded at once amused and disgusted. 

Tony flushed. “It’s just… it’s just stress relief…”

“You want stress relief? Pick up a fucking drink!” Howard yelled. “Not this – this! Whatever the fuck this is!” He grabbed Tony’s shoulders. “You are never going to contact this man again, do you hear me? Stane will buy him off. I’m taking away your computer and your phone. You’re going to be heavily monitored every time you so much as touch a computer from now on. I will not have my only son indulging in this sort of revolting behavior!”

“No!” Tony said, horrified. The thought of never being able to talk to Steve again was awful. They might have only been in contact for about three months, but Steve had become his lifeline. Tony’s whole life was meetings and work and galas and doing whatever his parents told him to do. The one bright, shining spot were his messages to Steve. Without that escape, he’d suffocate.

“It’s not an option,” Howard hissed, tightening his grip to the point where it started to hurt. 

“Dad, stop! You’re hurting me!” Tony cried. He tried to pull away, but Howard was stronger than he was and he realized that he couldn’t. Over Howard’s shoulder, he saw Stane smirking again.

“You need to understand the shame you’ve brought on your family,” Howard snapped. His breath smelt of alcohol. “Do you even realize what it’s like for me to know that my business partner is the one who brought this to my attention? You’re an embarrassment to this family, Tony. I loathe the thought of leaving my company to someone who doesn’t have an ounce of goddamn common sense. God! An affair would’ve been better than this. Some devious sex act… I can’t believe you!” 

He shoved Tony away, so hard that Tony stumbled backwards and lost his balance. He hit the ground hard, biting back a cry of pain. Neither Howard nor Stane moved to check on him, of course. By the time that Tony looked up, Howard had already turned away and was lurching back towards the desk. He grabbed the sheets of paper and shoved them at Stane.

“Burn these. Do whatever it takes to destroy the evidence. I don’t want anyone else finding out,” Howard barked. “And then pay a visit to this asshole. Shut him up with money or threats, I don’t care which.”

“Of course. Consider it done,” Stane said smoothly. 

“No! You leave Steve alone!” Tony said, pushing himself up. He winced with pain; his right wrist really hurt and so did his right hip where’d he landed. Neither of them even looked at him, and that, more than anything, was really what pushed Tony over the edge. 

He was sick of this. Sick of being treated like an idiot. Sick of pretending that he wanted to be just like Howard. Sick of acting like Stane was anything other than a backstabbing asshole who was desperate to discredit Tony in any way possible. The days where Stane had tried to suck up to Tony were long gone. There was no doubt in Tony’s mind that Stane had probably done a dance of pure glee when he found the texts. And then he’d gone running straight to Howard.

“Handle it now. Tony, we have a meeting in twenty minutes,” Howard declared, sitting down.

“No,” Tony said for the third time. “No more meetings, no more being told I’m a shameful embarrassment, no more pretending that I want anything to do with you! You don’t need to worry about me being an embarrassment anymore, because I’m leaving. You can go ahead and give the company to Stane. He’s gonna poison us both one of these days to get his hands on it anyway.”

“Why you little –” Stane began. Finally, his dumb smirk slid off his face to be replaced by rage.

“Tony!” Howard exclaimed at the same time.

“Just leave me alone!” Tony yelled. “And leave Steve alone too! I don’t want anything to do with either of you!” He spun on his heel and made his way out of the office, half-expecting to feel a hand slamming down on his shoulder to stop him. But he must have really shocked them, because neither Howard nor Stane tried to stop him.

He rushed down the hall as fast as he could and burst into his room. Knowing he didn’t have much time, he grabbed a bag and threw some clothing and his laptop into it. Those were the most important things – that, his phone and his wallet. He’d need to get rid of his phone shortly. Staying on the Stark family plan had been incredibly stupid. But he needed it now.

Throwing the bag over his shoulder, Tony hobbled back down the hall. The jacket and shoes he’d been wearing were gone. He shoved his feet into an old pair of sneakers, grabbing a hoodie and left. It was still pouring rain and he was soaked again as soon as he stepped outside, but Tony didn’t care. The rain streaming down his face went a long way towards hiding the tears that he could no longer hold back.

He clutched his phone and bowed his head, walking quickly. His hip ached, but he wanted to put distance between him, Howard and Stane. He got about four blocks before he felt safe enough to stop, huddling underneath the awning of a closed shop. It was just enough to keep the worst of the rain off. He looked down at his phone and unlocked it, finding his way to Steve’s contact. They didn’t talk on the phone often, usually texting. He prayed that Steve would pick up. Rhodey was on a posting, so there was no one else Tony could turn to.

He just needed Steve to pick up.


	2. Chapter 2

It took four agonizingly long rings before the line clicked and Steve said, “Hey baby, what’s up?”

Tony had intended to be calm and adult about this. Naturally, the instant he heard Steve’s voice, he burst into tears. “St-Steve!”

“Tony? Tony, what’s wrong?” Steve said. In the background, there was a swell of other voices that Steve hushed.

“I – I – I ran away,” Tony sobbed. “My dad – he found out.”

“Shit,” Steve said quietly. “Tony, baby, where are you? Bucky and I are gonna come pick you up, okay? Just tell me where you are.”

“I don’t know,” Tony cried.

“Look around for something familiar. I know you can do it,” Steve said encouragingly.

Tony obeyed and finally spotted a store he semi-recognized. He tearfully repeated the store’s name to Steve. Again, there was some murmuring in the background before the name of a street was put forth. It sounded right to Tony.

“Stay where you are. We’re coming right now,” Steve said.

“O-okay,” Tony whispered, sniffing and pressing himself further back against the door. Normally he was at ease within the city, but tonight everything seemed big and dark and scary. It had been a long time since he’d been out on his own after dark, and even longer since he’d had a fight with his father. He clutched his wrist to his chest and waited, squinting through the rain at every car that slowed.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, a blue car pulled up to the curb. The door on the front passenger side opened and Tony’s heart stopped as a big blond man climbed out: as he walked closer, Tony realized that the man was a half a foot taller and several pounds heavier, all of it looking like pure muscle. Terrifying thoughts of being kidnapped whirled in Tony’s head. 

Then the man stopped and said, “Tony?”

“Steve?” Tony said, recognizing the voice. Suddenly the man didn’t look scary at all, but comforting.

“Tony. Thank god.” Steve closed the distance between them, arms open. Tony didn’t hesitate to fling himself into Steve’s arms, already bawling. Steve hugged him tightly, one hand cupping the back of Tony’s head. It was easily the best hug that Tony had ever had.

“M-my d-dad…” he whimpered.

“Shh. You can tell me all about it later. For now, let’s get you out of the rain,” Steve said. He picked up Tony’s bag, forgotten by the door, and then picked Tony up too. Tony tensed a little in astonishment – he knew he was short and small for his age, but he had _not_ been expecting that – before melting into Steve. He wound his arms around Steve’s neck and hid his face in Steve’s shoulder.

Steve carried him to the car and got back into the passenger’s seat, rearranging Tony on his lap. He allowed Tony to curl up into a small ball and even covered Tony up with what must have been a spare jacket. Both the car and the jacket were warm, and Tony shivered, having not realized how cold he was until that moment. He was also getting Steve all wet, but he couldn’t bring himself to move.

“Is he okay?” someone asked. Bucky, Tony realized. It had to be Bucky. He shifted around and peeked out to see another big man, bulkier than Steve, with brown hair and kind blue eyes. He was looking right at Tony. Tony quickly hid again.

“I don’t know,” Steve said. “Let’s go to Bruce’s, okay? Based on what he’s told me about his dad, he probably needs to be checked out.”

“Got it,” Bucky said. The car rumbled to life beneath them. Tony was half-tempted to ask who Bruce was, but couldn’t bring himself to. It seemed much easier to stay quiet and enjoy the feeling of Steve’s arms around him, and let Steve make all the decisions. He knew Steve wouldn’t do anything to hurt him.

They drove for about twenty minutes. Neither Bucky nor Steve spoke, but Tony didn’t mind. He preferred it that way. His stomach churned whenever he thought about having to explain how Howard had reacted. _Why_ he’d reacted the way he had. Steve didn’t know who Tony really was, and not everyone in New York had a favorable opinion of the Starks. 

When the car stopped, Bucky cleared his throat. “Want me to come in?”

“Would you?” Steve said. “Thanks.”

Tony panicked when Steve shifted, but Steve didn’t put him down; somehow, Steve maneuvered them both out of the vehicle without letting go of Tony. When Steve was standing, the jacket covering Tony slipped down a little and let Tony see that they were in a neighborhood he wasn’t familiar with. It was dark and raining and he couldn’t help imagining that they were being watched. The thought made him shudder.

Bucky led the way up to the sixth floor of the apartment building. They were clearly expected, because the door to one of the apartments was open and a man was standing there. This one was shorter than Steve and Bucky, but still taller than Tony – sometimes it seemed like the whole _world_ was taller than Tony. A woman was standing right behind him, her dark eyes wide and worried.

“Is this him? Is he okay?” the woman asked.

“Yeah, this is him. And I don’t know,” Steve said. The man and woman stepped aside to let Bucky, Steve and Tony go past. Then they shut the door and suddenly all attention was on Tony.

It was too much. Tony froze as panic swelled in his throat. 

“Take him down the hall, Steve. Get him cleaned up. If you come across anything, let me or Betty know,” the man, who Tony belatedly realized must have been Bruce, said. “You can borrow a change of clothes for him or – or anything else, if you need it.”

“Thanks Bruce,” Steve said, moving down the hallway. He turned right and they entered a bedroom. Tony’s heart thudded in his ears as Steve shut the door. He felt a little better now that it was just him and Steve and there weren’t so many prying eyes, but it was just now hitting him that it was _just him and Steve_. If he fucked this up, there would be no where for him to go.

Fresh tears welled up in Tony’s eyes and he had to bite his lip to hold back a fresh bout of sobs. When he thought he could speak without crying, he whispered, “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” Steve repeated. He set Tony down on the bed. Tony had to make himself let go.

“For calling you. I ruined your evening,” Tony said, unable to look Steve in the eyes. He stared instead at his lap. 

“Oh, baby. I don’t care about my evening. I’m glad you called me. That’s what I’m here,” Steve said, and he sounded so warm and compassionate that Tony broke down crying again. Steve immediately crouched down and wrapped him up in another hug.

And maybe because Steve hadn’t asked, the words spilled out. “My dad found out… he was so mad. He said I’d bring shame to the company if anyone found out… shame to the family. He didn’t even care about how happy it made me… he said I’m an embarrassment.” Tony’s voice broke. “He said it was disgusting. Am I disgusting, Steve?”

“No!” Steve said, so fiercely that Tony looked at him in surprise. “No, Tony, you’re not. You’re not hurting anyone. We’re all consenting adults who want this. Your dad…” He exhaled and shook his head. “Your dad was out of line, to say the least. He didn’t hurt you, did he?” He sat back on his heels and worriedly looked Tony up and down, as though he could see the damage done through sheer force of will alone.

“He… he pushed me…” Tony whispered, offering his wrist.

Steve set his jaw. “Bruce and Betty are doctors. One of them can look at your wrist, okay? Do you hurt anywhere else?”

“My hip,” Tony mumbled.

“Okay. Here’s what we’re gonna do,” Steve said. “You’re cold and wet. You need a shower. Then a change of clothes. Then we can look at where you’re hurt, and then you can have something to eat.”

Laid out like that, it suddenly sounded so simple and logical. But Tony was grateful that Steve was here, because his overwhelmed brain was spinning around in circles. No sooner had one thought flickered through his head than a dozen others followed, all competing to be the one that he paid attention to, and it left him floundering. In the moment, all he could do was grasp Steve’s hand and nod.

“Good. That’s good,” Steve murmured. “Do you want my help taking a shower?”

Tony hesitated at that – because he did, but –

“I don’t mind, Tony. Really. If you need me, I’m here.”

It was too hard to figure out if Steve really meant that or if he was just being kind. Tony had to take him at his word. He nodded again.

Steve smiled at him. “Okay. Come on.” He helped Tony to stand and walked Tony over to the door. The hallway was thankfully empty when Steve opened the door; they crossed the hall into the room on the other side, which turned out to be a bathroom that was just large enough to accommodate the two of them.

“Here, take a seat.” Steve sat him down on the toilet and then switched the shower on. As the room filled with steam, he briskly removed Tony’s sweatshirt and t-shirt. His jaw tightened when he saw Tony’s upper body. Tony wasn’t sure why until he glanced down and saw the bruises on his shoulders. Five on each shoulder, four on the back and one on the front, perfectly spaced to fit Howard’s hands.

“Can you stand up for me?” Steve asked, voice and touch remaining gentle in spite of his obvious anger. Once Tony was standing, hands resting on Steve’s shoulders for balance, Steve pulled down his jeans and boxers. There, Tony discovered why his right hip hurt so much. Another bruise was developing right over his hipbone and spreading both down his thigh and up over his ribs. 

Steve’s scowl deepened and he exhaled slowly as he looked up at Tony and said softly, “Baby, I don’t think you should go back to your dad. We can talk about it later, but just – just think about that, okay?”

Steve had no way of knowing just how hard Tony was already thinking about it. He remained quiet as Steve helped him into the tub and then sat him down on the floor. The shower head was detachable; Steve grabbed it and aimed the spray over Tony’s body, carefully keeping the water away from Tony’s face. It showed a degree of consideration that no one had directed towards Tony in years, and fresh tears sprang to his eyes.

How was it that someone like Steve could care so much, when Tony’s own parents didn’t care at all?

“It’s okay, Tony. It’s okay,” Steve murmured. “You alright if I bath you?”

Tony gulped hard and nodded meekly. He clenched his shaking hands in his lap as Steve picked up a facecloth and some body wash. It would’ve been the opportune moment for Steve to take advantage of him, because Tony was hardly in a position to fight back right now. But Steve’s touch remained purely clinical, if gentle, as he ran the facecloth over Tony’s body in small circles. He was particularly cautious around Tony’s right hip and wrist, barely swiping the cloth over those two areas. 

Tears fell down Tony’s cheeks the whole time, but, if Steve noticed, he chose not to comment. He shut the water off and leaned back, pulling a cupboard door open. There was a whole stack of towels inside. Steve poked through them until he got to the ones at the back, then pulled one out. It was bright red, patterned with fat yellow stars, and big enough to be a blanket, not a towel. Steve wrapped it around Tony and then lifted him out.

“There you go. Nice and clean,” Steve said, brushing a strand of damp hair out of Tony’s eyes. “Hey. You still with me, sweetheart?”

Tony nodded again, his left hand gravitating to his mouth. When Steve turned away, he quickly slipped his thumb into his mouth and started sucking. Steve turned back holding a smaller towel and merely smiled, unphased. He dried Tony’s hair and then opened the bathroom door a crack; sweatpants and a t-shirt, neither of which were Tony’s, had appeared there as though by magic. 

“Now before we get you dressed, I have to ask you something,” said Steve. “I know you’ve never really gone into a headspace, but honestly you seem pretty close… if you haven’t already. And your headspace is pretty little.” He crouched down in front of Tony, face serious. “Do you feel like you need a pull-up or a diaper?”


	3. Chapter 3

Uncertain of how to answer this frankly extraordinary question, Tony remained silent and stared at Steve with parted lips and rounded eyes. Steve seemed to take this as an answer in itself, because he twisted and opened up the cabinet under the sink. He rifled through a couple of packages before taking out a white pull-up patterned with blue stars and yellow moons, only it was sized for an adult.

“I think you’re going to need diapers later, but this will do for now until you’re in a better place to talk,” Steve said, more to himself than to Tony. 

Tony didn’t – couldn’t – argue. He stood with Steve’s help and stepped into the pull-up, which Steve then drew up his legs. It was too big; Steve had to refasten it much more snugly to fit. Belatedly, it occurred to him to wonder who the pull-ups had been purchased for. Obviously someone bigger than him, but that didn’t necessarily mean much. But it seemed odd that the pull-ups had just happened to be here, never mind the diapers. Neither of those were things that most people would just keep around.

Bruce or Betty? That seemed like the most logical answer, but it was hard to picture either one of them being a Little. Maybe they just had lots of friends who were into this? He could have asked, but that would’ve meant taking his thumb out of his mouth and talking and Tony didn’t know if he was capable of that right now. It was easier to stay quiet and follow Steve’s simple directions.

Steve had to tie the sweatpants around Tony’s waist with the drawstring and then roll them up, as they were much too big. Likewise, the sweatshirt’s sleeves hung down over Tony’s hands and the collar threatened to slip off one shoulder. Undeterred, Steve tugged up the sleeves and shifted the collar until it hung a little better. Tony put his thumb back in his mouth as soon as he could.

“Well, it’ll do for now,” Steve said. “I don’t know if you brought clothes with you, but we can get you what you need.” He didn’t expect an answer, which was good because while Tony remembered throwing clothing into his bag, he couldn’t have said _what_ clothing he had brought if someone offered him a hundred bucks. 

He shivered at the gust of cool air when Steve opened the bathroom door again and made himself drop his thumb. The sweatpants covered up the pull-up nicely, but these people had already seen him being carried around like a little kid. Long-engrained habits made it so that Tony thought that he had to at least _try_ making a decent second impression.

Bruce and Betty were the only ones there when Steve and Tony entered the living room. Tony’s eyes flicked around automatically for Bucky, but he didn’t see the man. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. Bucky was technically a stranger too, but he was Steve’s friend and, after all the things Steve had told him about Bucky, Tony felt like he knew Bucky too in a way.

“Here, take a seat,” Betty said, jumping up and gesturing to the couch. Tony shyly followed Steve over and sat, holding his arm close to his chest. Betty and Bruce glanced at each other and then Bruce stood up.

“Hi Tony. I don’t know if you remember me, but we talked a few times in the chatroom,” he said, and Tony looked up at him in shock. “I go by ScienceLover.”

“That’s you?” Tony squeaked in shock. Of course he remembered ScienceLover – he memorized the name of everyone who took even a few seconds to greet him in the chatroom. He didn’t get the chance to talk to ScienceLover much; ScienceLover had alluded to having a job that kept him busy. If Bruce was a doctor, that made sense. He had also mentioned having a mommy. Tony’s eyes slid over to Betty.

She smiled at him. “I hardly ever get the opportunity to go into the chatroom,” she said. “Usually, even if I have a few minutes to myself, I’ve forgotten my phone at home. But Bruce has told me about you. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

At least that explained why there were pull-ups and diapers in the apartment, though Tony was pretty sure that the age of ScienceLover’s headspace meant he wore the former and not the latter. So maybe they really did keep diapers around for friends who came to visit. The thought was a little overwhelming and Tony found himself speechless. 

“Tony hurt his wrist and he has a bruise on his side,” Steve said. Thankfully, he didn’t mention the bruises on Tony’s shoulders. “Could one of you take a look?”

“Of course!” Betty said. She knelt before Tony, still smiling. She had a really nice smile, Tony realized as he focused on her face. It reached her eyes and made the skin around them crinkle. 

“Is that okay, Tony?” Steve murmured.

Tony swallowed but nodded, slowly extending his arm. Betty’s touch was very gentle as she took hold of his hand and arm. She ran her fingers across his wrist, feeling the bones, then rotated his hand. Tony flinched, biting his lip as a sharp pain ran up his arm. Fresh tears welled up in his eyes in spite of his best attempts to blink them back. Betty glanced up at him and her face softened.

“You’re okay, Honey,” she said. “You haven’t broken anything. I think it’s just a bad sprain. Bruce can wrap it up for you and that, plus some Tylenol and ice, will make you feel a whole lot better. Can I see your hip?”

“Here,” Steve said, wrapping an arm around Tony’s shoulders. He pulled Tony into him, then tugged up the sweatshirt. Tony flushed in embarrassment – the top of the pull-up was visible over the hem of the sweatpants – but Betty didn’t even look at that. Her mouth tightened as she touched Tony’s side, lightly probing around the bruise.

“Not broken there either. Just a bruise,” she said finally. “It wouldn’t hurt to ice this too, though.”

“I’ll get some,” Bruce said. He’d been standing over Betty’s shoulder, silently watching. Now, he turned and went into the kitchen. Betty followed him.

“You did really good,” Steve whispered in Tony’s ear. Tony just closed his eyes.

When Betty and Bruce returned, they had an ace bandage and two bags of ice. Betty quickly and expertly wrapped Tony’s wrist up, and Tony had to admit that his wrist did feel a lot better with the ace bandage around it. The ice stung at first, but, as the cold seeped in, the pain gradually began to ease. The same went for his throbbing hip. He breathed a bit easier.

“Here,” Bruce said, offering him two Tylenol and a glass of water. Tony clumsily took them both and tried to pop the pills in his mouth while also holding the water – and promptly dropped the glass.

Almost as though he’d seen it coming, Steve’s hand snapped out and he caught the glass. A bit of water spilled down the front of Tony’s sweatshirt, but it was far from the soaked lap he would’ve had if Steve weren’t there. Betty was there immediately with a tower to soak up the little water that had spilled, and Tony was barely aware of Steve handing the glass back to Bruce with Betty fussing over him. The next thing he knew, Bruce had returned and handed Tony a different cup.

A _sippy_ cup, plastic with a bright blue spout. Tony’s face got hot.

“Hey,” Bruce said kindly, crouching down to meet Tony’s eye. “There’s no need to be embarrassed, Tony. That’s one of my cups you’re using. When I’m feeling little, I can’t handle regular glasses either. They’re slippery.”

“Take the Tylenol,” Steve directed in a low voice.

In spite of Bruce’s kind words, Tony was still very much embarrassed – but he obeyed regardless, putting the pills in his mouth and swallowing with a gulp of water from the cup. It took him a moment to work out how to suck water from the spout, but he found he was glad that he had it. His hands were trembling, and he undoubtedly would’ve spilled even more water if it hadn’t been for the lid. He drank the whole thing and handed it back to Bruce.

“Thanks,” he whispered.

“You’re welcome,” Bruce said. “Do you want some more?”

Tony shook his head. The water had been gone, quenching a thirst he hadn’t even been aware of, but he was pretty sure that drinking more would be pushing it. His stomach was churning already. 

“That’s okay,” Betty said, patting Tony’s knee. “You can rest for a while, and when you get up, I’ll make you something to eat.”

He didn’t argue, even though eating was the last thing that Tony felt like doing. He leaned back into Steve and rested his head on Steve’s shoulder, looking around the room for the first time. It was a nice living room, big enough to fit half a dozen people, and the furniture was actually comfortable to sit on. His parent’s living room could fit two dozen people, but all the furniture was stiff and made your back ache if you sat for more than a few minutes.

“I need to talk to Betty. Would you be okay alone for a minute?” Steve asked after a while.

“I’m not a baby,” Tony said, trying hard to sound annoyed. He wasn’t sure he succeeded, because Steve shot him a soft, fond smile that made Tony’s stomach twist for an entirely different reason.

“I’ll be right back,” was all he said, neither confirming nor denying Tony’s status. Tony frowned after him as Steve carefully got up and walked into the kitchen. 

The ice had mostly melted, so Tony moved the bags to the coffee table. He pulled his sweatshirt back down, shivering a little – now that Steve had moved, he was chilled. He carefully set his sprained wrist in his lap as Bruce came back into the room carrying two things. One was a blanket, which he draped over Tony without asking. The other thing was a…

Tony blinked.

“I thought you might like it. He doesn’t have a home,” Bruce explained, holding out the stuffed animal. It was an elephant, all grey except for where it was pale pink on the bottom of its feet and the inside of its floppy ears, looking at Tony with big brown eyes. The toy was big enough for Tony to hold it in his lap and hug it – if Tony were so inclined, of course.

Which he wasn’t.

At all.

“He?” Tony said, which wasn’t what he’d meant to say at all, but it made Bruce smile.

“Or her.” He sat down beside Tony and set the toy on Tony’s lap.

It was _soft_. Tony was immediately in love. He pinched a bit of fur between his index finger and thumb, rubbing at it just to feel the texture. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d held a stuffed animal. It had been years. He must have been just a baby at the time, probably back when Jarvis was around. His eyes got hot again, and he blinked back tears.

Steve and Betty came out of the kitchen. They smiled at the sight of Tony holding the toy, and, although Tony blushed to be found holding it, he didn’t let go. 

“Tony, we’ve been talking,” Betty began. “Steve thinks you shouldn’t go back home right now, and I agree. So we wanted to see if you would like to stay with us for a while.”

Tony’s eyes widened in shock. “Wh-what?”

“Of course, Steve can stay too,” Betty said, misinterpreting Tony’s reaction. “I know you’d feel more comfortable if he was here to take care of you. The two of you can stay until you figure out what else you’re going to do.”

Steve wanted to stay? With him? Here? Tony looked back and forth between them, overwhelmed.

“What will you do?” Bruce asked, looking up at Steve.

“Get an apartment, probably,” Steve replied. “I’m sure Natasha can help us find something… if that’s what Tony wants.”

They wanted to take care of him. _Steve_ wanted to take care of him. Tony couldn’t hold the tears back anymore; they started falling thick and fast as he nodded his head so hard his neck muscles hurt. Steve’s face softened and he sat down on the other side of Tony, wrapping Tony up in a big hug. 

“Shh, baby boy,” Steve murmured, rocking him back and forth. “It’ll be okay, you’ll see.”

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](https://tsuki-chibi.tumblr.com/).


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